Fascination Turned To Love
by ImaginaryGirlxx
Summary: One-shot sequel to You Came Back. House decides to propose to Emma and, with the help of her family, throws a surprise ball worthy of the Enchanted Forest's royalty.


**I've had a lot of interest in You Came Back since finishing it so here's a little follow up. The title is taken from one of my favourite songs to waltz to. Hope you enjoy it!**

House had never thought of himself as a family man. In fact, he had never seen himself needed any other relationships in his life other than his friendships with Wilson and Cuddy since he broke up with Stacey. However, today he found himself - dare he say it – happy about the idea of a family outing with Emma and Henry. It had become a weekly thing for them since Emma and Regina had agreed to share custody of their son and Henry had shown great enthusiasm for showing House all of Storybrooke's little quirks and hidden charm. Of course the town was nothing like Princeton but had had to admit he was growing accustomed to the limited number of amenities it had to offer. Granny's diner always served the best food and Marco had custom made him a selection of canes, being very grateful for the business that House had brought him. Yes, House decided after mulling the idea over in his mind a few times, Storybrooke was starting to feel like home.

It was this realisation that had led House to a conversation with Snow White and Prince Charming that he never thought he would have. The fact that them being fairytale characters didn't even seem weird to him was further assurance that what he was about to do was the right thing. Although he still had to stomach their over the top happiness. It was the one thing about this place that House couldn't quite accept but he was willing to accommodate them for Emma's sake. Besides, she definitely seemed happier since finding them and who was he to stand in the way of that?

 _House sat down in the Charming's living room while Emma and Henry were out shopping for school supplies. He sipped from a mug of hot chocolate, having become accustomed to the taste of cinnamon that Snow always sprinkled on it._

" _So, Greg, what did you want to see us about?" David asked him._

" _It's about Emma." He started, waiting for a reaction from the two people in front of him._

" _Go on." Snow prompted, her mind racing with a million possibilities of what he could be here for._

" _I'm here to ask you permission to propose to Emma." He said, his usual confidence shaking somewhat. The world of romance was not something he felt himself a natural at and he had to bite back all his natural instincts and reactions for this conversation._

 _Charming looked at him sceptically, as he would expect from a father. Snow, however, was gleaming with joy._

" _Of course you can marry Emma! Anyone can see you're perfect for each other!" She exclaimed._

" _Snow, don't you think we should talk about this?" David asked._

" _You can take your time." House added, wanting to do right by Emma's family._

 _Snow and Charming exchanged a look, as if silently considering House's proposal together, before turning back to face him._

" _Greg, we're giving you permission to marry Emma." David smiled at him before his expression turned serious. "But take this warning that if you break her heart we will not hesitate in hunting you down and killing you."_

" _I promise to look after her." House replied, knowing that now wasn't the time for jokes or sarcasm._

" _Now, let's talk engagement parties!" Snow squealed in excitement._

And that was what led to House buying a suit and taking dance lessons in secret for the past month. Had you told him this six months ago he would've had you committed to a psych ward. However, since his leg was no longer an issue he saw no reason not to make the effort to make this the best night of Emma's life. He knew that Snow had been dragging Emma along to her convenient new ballroom dancing group, not wanting her daughter to feel uncomfortable and unprepared at her first ball. Of course, had she grown up with them, David would've been teaching her to dance from the moment she started walking. Still, at least she was getting the lessons that her heritage would have given her eventually.

As usual, House met Emma and her family at Granny's diner for breakfast as they discussed what their plans were for the day.

"I'm so excited we're all doing something together today!" Henry squealed as he sat down with his pancakes.

House didn't miss the look exchanged by the boy's grandparents and let out a not-so-subtle cough to inform them of this. Snow obviously caught on as she took it upon herself to break the news to Henry that they were otherwise engaged preparing for the ball.

"About that, Henry…" She started.

"No! You promised you'd come with us." The young boy whined.

"We've actually got a bit of a surprise planned. David and I have decided to host a ball tonight. I was speaking with Belle the other day and we both agreed it had been too long since we'd had one."

"And by too long we mean almost thirty years." David added.

"A ball?" Henry screamed.

"Yes. I've already had a word with Greg and he's willing to take the two of you shopping for something to wear. Then you can have the picnic that Henry has prepared so well." She added, excluding any mention of the help that herself and Emma had given him that morning.

"You knew about this?" Emma asked House.

"Everybody lies." He replied with a smirk, something that he knew would annoy Emma. She responded by magically moving his breakfast to her plate, as, he supposed, any reasonable person would do. Somehow he didn't even bat an eyelid at her use of magic. He did notice Henry smiling ecstatically at his mom using her powers.

At her mother's concerned look following House's comment, Emma explained that it was a long-standing inside joke of theirs. She had seen clearly that over the past few months House was beginning to trust people more. Well, by people she meant herself and Henry but it was a start. It seemed he was also starting to trust her parents, although Emma wasn't quite sure what to make of this development.

House reached over and grabbed the pastry that Emma had stolen from his plate. "Mine." He said, sticking out his tongue at her in a childish way. He took a bite from the food and then a sip from Emma's mug of coffee, grimacing as he did. "How much sugar do you use?"

"Only two."

"That's bad for your teeth." He commented.

"Since when did you become a dentist?" She replied. "Besides I'm surprised you didn't remember. We worked in the same office for three years. What's that – two thousand cups of coffee? Three?"

"Yet I still let you make mine. I forget why." He teased.

"I also answered your mail. Considering the number of patients we actually saw a more apt job title might have been secretary."

"I didn't hear you complaining." House shot back. "Although if you'd have dressed the part I may have given you a raise."

David let out a purposeful cough to remind Emma and House that they were still there. House laughed as a blush crept up to Emma's face. She wasn't used to her parents hearing the sort of inappropriate banter that she and House engaged in.

"And on that image I'm sure everyone needed this morning we should get going." Emma said firmly, hoping that her family had the decency not to read too much in to what House had said. "We'll be back around noon to grab the picnic. You're welcome to eat with us if you're not to busy planning." She addressed her parents.

"Have fun." Snow called out as House, Emma and Henry left the diner.

The three of them spent the morning looking through shops for something for Henry and Emma to wear to the ball. Emma paid for Henry's suit and protested when House insisted on paying for her dress. In the end, they compromised by agreeing that Emma could pay for shoes and accessories if she let House buy her the dress. Henry had chosen a navy blue suit jacket and matching trousers, adding a white shirt and dark red tie to complete the ensemble. He opted to wear a pair of shoes that he already owned for comfort.

Finding Emma's dress was a little harder as everyone wanted it to be perfect for her first ball. When she let slip that she had never been to her high school prom, House only became more determined to find something incredible for her. After trawling the main high street shops with little success they decided to explore deeper into the side streets of Storybrooke, hoping to find some hidden gem of a store. They were in luck as, after almost a half hour of searching through the streets, they encountered a small boutique specialising in formal dresses.

Although Emma knew that her mother would love to see her in a massive dress with all manner of sparkles and sequins, they all knew that it wasn't her style. House, as he had done in all of the other shops they visited, took a step back at first and let Emma and Henry look through the racks. They pulled out a couple of possibilities that Emma liked but so far nothing had made her heart race thinking that she absolutely had to have it.

Deciding to help out, House took to searching through another rack when he came across a long, red dress that reminded him of one he had seen Emma wear once at a hospital fundraiser. It was strapless at the top with subtle ruffled detailing and the skirt was floor-length and flowing, giving her the freedom she would need were she to decide to dance.

"What do you think of this one?" He asked, holding the dress out to her.

Emma's face lit up at the sight of the dress. "It's perfect." She said, hanging the small collection of dresses in her own arms back on the rack as she walked over to take the red dress from House.

"Try it on." He encouraged her.

"Yeah mom, it's really nice." Henry joined in.

Taking the dress to the fitting room, Emma was surprised by how well it fit her figure. As much as she loved to wear jeans and a leather jacket, she couldn't deny feeling like a princess when she found the right dress. It made her do a couple of twirls in front of the mirror before she stepped out to show House and Henry.

"It's perfect!" Henry screamed in excitement. Emma smiled and looked to House for his approval.

"I've got to agree with the kid." He added, once he regained his composure.

"How much is it?" Emma asked.

"I don't care." House replied, having not thought to look at the price before giving it to her. It didn't matter to him though. He was happy to spend his money on her.

Emma, on the other hand, did care and looked at the label, her eyes widening as she did so.

"I can't ask you to spend that much!" She exclaimed, showing him the price tag.

"You don't have to ask – I'm offering. Now take that dress off and let me treat you." He said, before leaning in to whisper in Emma's ear. "Oh how I hoped I was saying that under different circumstances." He added, causing her to blush and try to stifle a laugh in hope of avoiding Henry's questioning.

Once House had paid for the dress and Emma had found a new pair of shoes to complete the outfit, the three of them headed home to pick up their picnic and drop off their purchases.

"Mom? Dad?" Emma called out as they arrived at the apartment. When there was no response she ventured further inside. She had definitely learned her lesson about knocking before entering when her parents were home alone.

Emma headed upstairs with their new clothes to hang them in the closet while House and Henry grabbed the picnic basket and everything that they had kept in the fridge. House took this opportunity to clue Henry in on what he was planning, trusting him not to let it slip in the next hour. Henry loved having House around and was extremely supportive and enthusiastic about the idea of his proposal. This calmed House's nerves a little. He knew that Emma would never had said yes without Henry's approval so getting it in advance would make the moment easier for everyone. Henry agreed to keep quiet about it and excuse himself after they'd eaten to give House and Emma some privacy for him to ask, for which House was grateful.

They left the apartment and Emma drove them to a clearing near the entrance of the woods that Henry directed her to. He had discovered it a few weeks ago and was excited to finally show someone.

House was happily recalling stories of the various pranks he had played on his colleagues in the hospital and Henry, being a teenage boy, was enthralled.

"You actually bought a chicken into the hospital?" He asked in disbelief and House nodded.

"When was this?" Emma wondered. She'd heard a lot of House's stories, and been the victim of more than a few, but had never heard this one.

"A few months ago. Just after Thirteen got out of prison."

"Thirteen was in prison?"

"It was to do with her brother." Was all House said, not wanting to go in to detail in front of Henry. It took Emma a minute but she was able to make a good guess at what had happened. She merely nodded at House and didn't push it further.

The conversation hit a lull and Henry decided that now was as good of a time as any to excuse himself for a minute, giving House and Emma some privacy. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and announced that he needed to call a friend he'd just received a text from. Giving House a pointed look, he smiled and left so that he was out of sight but still within earshot. He wasn't going to miss this!

Emma didn't miss the change in House's expression once Henry left. He looked almost nervous. But House was never nervous – she must be imagining things.

House reached into the hamper and pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses that he'd hidden in the kitchen and picked up while Emma was upstairs.

"How about a toast?" He offered, pouring two glasses and handing one to Emma.

"What are we toasting?"

"The fact that we are here together and off to a ball tonight with no bribes necessary. I think that's quite an achievement." He laughed, taking a big sip of his drink.

"To the impossible." Emma toasted. House liked it – it summed up everything about this place and their relationship. From Emma's unconventional heritage to the possibility of them finding each other again. He would even go as far as to include his ability to walk without pain in that category. Smiling, House realised that for the first time in a long while he had a lot to be happy about.

"To the impossible." House agreed and they clinked their glasses together.

Just out of sight in the woods Henry smiled. He counted himself incredibly lucky to have such a large and caring family and was happy that he may soon be able to add one Doctor Greg House to the ridiculous ensemble of characters that he called family.

The toast, and possibly downing a large glass of champagne, had given House the final boost of confidence he needed to get down on one knee – something that he never thought he would want to (or be able to) do a few months ago.

Emma's eyes widened slightly but House had started talking before she'd even really had the time to process what he was doing.

"Emma, these past few months with you have been perfect and you've made me happier than I had ever imagined possible. If someone had told me that my decision to hire you would lead to this I probably would've laughed in their face but I think now that I've loved you since you confronted me about hiring you as lobby art and I saw how strong you could be. Ever since I've been pushing back my feelings for you, not allowing either of us to be happy, and that was selfish of me. Now I want to make it up to you by asking you to spend the rest of your life with me to let me try and make you as happy as you've made me. I've spoken to your parents and Henry and they are happy to let me be a part of your family. Not that it's that exclusive apparently – every book character seems to be related to you somehow!" He and Emma let out a small, but tense, laugh. "I love you Emma Swan, Alison Cameron. Will you marry me?" House asked as he pulled a ring from his pocket.

By the end of House's speech Emma had tears in her eyes. She'd never heard him so honest and vulnerable and her heart soared at his words. To know that he not only respected her but loved her was something she thought she could only dream of but to hear him say it in no uncertain terms was something else entirely. The reality of this moment was nothing like she'd imagined it, not that she has – of course! House was sincere and spoke from his heart and Emma, more than anyone, appreciated how difficult that was.

Slowly at first, Emma nodded her head. "Yes." She smiled as she began nodding faster. House let out a breath that he'd been holding since he had finished talking and slid the ring on to her finger. "I love you too Greg!"

House leaned in to kiss Emma, who wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back passionately until they were interrupted by Henry coughing to remind them that he was still there.

"You're ok with this?" Emma asked him.

"Of course." Henry smiled, excited to be welcoming the crazy doctor into his family. He silently noted how glad he was that he wasn't referring to Dr Whale.

Between them, House and Emma soon finished off the rest of the bottle of champagne. Emma offered Henry a sip but he grimaced at the taste and vowed that he would never drink alcohol, to which both adults laughed.

They headed back home to find Snow and David presenting them with a large celebratory cake.

"Wow news travels fast!" Emma exclaimed.

"Henry was texting your mom the whole time with updates." David whispered in his daughter's ear as he leaned in to give her a hug. He felt Emma nod her head in understanding and pulled back, giving her a smile.

"Emma we need to get ready! We don't have much time and the hosts can't be late to their own ball." Snow squealed excitedly. "I saw your dress and it's amazing. I can't wait to see you in it! How shall we do your hair? I'm thinking down as the dress is strapless."

Instead of being annoyed at her enthusiasm, Emma simply laughed at her mother's antics. She knew that Snow was throwing this ball for her own enjoyment as much as she was as an engagement celebration. House had clued her in earlier about the surprise. She chose to indulge her though, she knew how much it meant to her mother to help her get ready for her first ball even if it was a couple of decades too late. If anyone ever asked her she'd deny it – of course – but Emma was secretly excited to be able to engage in this enchanted forest rite of passage with her.

As soon as they were alone Snow pushed Emma for every little detail of House's proposal. Despite having Henry practically transcribe his entire speech for her to read she needed to know every detail from her daughter's perspective. Such an important moment in one's life had to be nothing short of perfect for her little girl. Emma happily told her what had happened to the best that her memory allowed. The emotion of the moment since Emma realized what he was saying had taken over her ability to remember his exact words somewhat but in her mind his proposal had been everything she'd dreamed of since she was a young girl.

Snow took her time plaiting sections of Emma's long blonde locks and pinning them up in the most intricate fashion to form a stunning hairstyle while Emma applied her make up. She then tried to return the favor on Snow's hair but her attempts to plait and twist her hair need up looking slightly clumsy in comparison. It didn't matter to Snow though, she was just happy to be able to share in this moment with her daughter that she had waited for so long. Emma was able to convince Snow to be more bold than normal with her make up, opting for smoky eyes over her usual subtle look. Once hair and make up had been completed both women changed into their dresses and came downstairs to find the three most important men in their lives sat on the couch in their suits waiting patiently.

They arrived at the ball in a limousine, a little surprise that House had organized without even David or Snow knowing. It was a small gesture that he hoped could add to Emma's perfect night.

In typical Enchanted Forest style, or so Emma, House and Henry had been informed, their entrance was announced as the walked through the grand doors of the exquisite town hall that had been booked for the occasion. At mention of their engagement the room erupted with applause. Emma could have sworn she heard Ruby yell "About time!" and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

Snow and David surveyed their handiwork. They had truly done a great job, even if they did say so themselves. Hundreds of fairy lights had been hung from the ceiling and down some of the walls, adding to the light given off from the stunning chandelier that hung there every day. A food and drinks bar was placed against the far wall and even those tables were decorated to perfection. A few seating areas had been arranged against the adjacent walls for guests to eat, drink and mingle, leaving the remainder of the room empty for use as a dance floor.

The DJ for the night, Leroy, played a great variety of music, from modern Storybrooke songs to old classics that the residents of the Enchanted Forest had grown up with. As recordings for many of these songs were hard to come by, a band had been booked to play intermittently throughout the evening.

House had been to fetch everyone drinks, with the help of Henry, and was now eagerly awaiting his chance to show off his newly acquired dancing skills to Emma. There wasn't much, other than a good puzzle, that could excite House nowadays but for some reason the thought of the joy he would see on Emma's face seemed to surpass even that. This must be what it feels like to be in love, he mused. He had never felt this was with Stacey or Lisa. While it was hard to put the feeling of 'love' into words, and he was yet to find a way to operationalize and quantify it scientifically, he knew he enjoyed it. This nervous anticipation must be what people equated to the feeling of butterflies in one's stomach.

After a couple of songs House heard the steady one-two-three beat of a waltz filling the room. Many of the guests who had been sat at the sidelines took to the floor with their partners, including Snow and Charming. There was an elegance and grace that those with a more privileged upbringing brought to the dance as they continued to move steadily counter clockwise around the floor.

House took a moment to watch Emma as she admired the scene before her. Her eyes followed her parents as they dances and he noticed that they began to glaze over as if she were holding back tears. Getting to know her better over the past few months had taught House that Emma had always longed for a family and the realization that she now had one was probably hitting her with force right now.

"Is this real?" She turned to ask him.

"Every second." House replied, his eyes never leaving hers. He took a breath. "May I have this dance?" He asked as he reached for her hand.

Emma nodded, too stunned by House's offer to speak. Before she knew it he had pulled her up against his body and began to lead her around the floor in a basic step. She moved her head to the left, extending her top line as she had been taught and put her faith into House not to crash into anyone. As they began to feel more comfortable with the steps together, House pushed for longer strides as they covered the perimeter of the dance floor.

Had Emma been looking around the room, she would have seen many of the couples step off the floor to watch the princess and her new fiancé make their debut. House, however, had noticed and was starting to feel the pressure under everyone else's observation. Not that it bothered him – he worked well under pressure. All he could do was focus on leading Emma for the best dance of their lives.

By the end of the dance everyone else had cleared the floor. House heard the closing noted of the song and released Emma from their hold, spinning her out to present her to the crowd. She looked at him in shock as she finally took note of her surroundings. House took a bow and Emma followed suit, curtseying as Mary Margaret had taught her during a night they'd spent drunk as roommates. The room erupted with cheers and applause and Emma's face turned a bright shade of red in contrast to her pale complexion. House took her arm and led her off the floor to join her family, who simultaneously enveloped her in hugs.

"You were amazing mom!" Henry exclaimed.

Emma's eyes were welling up with tears again as she struggled to get the words out. "Thanks kid." She smiled.

"I filmed it all so you can see for yourself." The young boy added, his eyes gleaming with pride.

Snow and Charming matched their grandson's expression of pride as they continued to praise their daughter and her fiancé. David even gave House a friendly pat on the back. He was definitely making progress with Emma's parents, which put his mind more at ease about the idea of family life with the Charmings. Of course, there was still the small issue of the rest of their unconventional family but House had plenty of time to worry about that later. For now he just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Throughout the night many people came up to the couple to congratulate them on their engagement and compliment their first dance together. A couple of other songs came on that they could have danced to but Emma declined House's offer as she felt that there was too much pressure on them. After a couple more glasses of champagne, however, she found herself more relaxed and the pair danced a Viennese waltz. It was a dance that filled the floor with those who knew how to do it, as the steps were relatively easy once one had mastered them. Everyone else watched on in awe as the dancing couples twirled around the room, dresses flowing out in a wide array of colors.

As the night drew on, Leroy began to play more mainstream music and Emma and her friends danced carefree into the early hours of the morning while House and David watched on and laughed. They both noticed that Henry had gone off to a quiet corner with Grace and the pair were laughing together at something on Henry's phone.

"Good for him." David smiled upon seeing his grandson appearing to flirt successfully with the girl.

"She likes him." House commented.

"How can you tell?"

"Look at the way she moves moving closer to him, grabbing his hand to turn the phone instead of just taking it from him." He explained. "She wants to be closer to him but doesn't know how."

"You got all that from two seconds looking at them on the other side of the room?" David asked. "You really are as good at reading people as Emma says."

House nodded. He knew he was observant but he wasn't used to people complimenting him on it. Everyone at Princeton Plainsboro had found his talents annoying for many years now.

David continued. "I can see how perfect you and Emma are together. My wife saw it all along but I guess I just needed the time to accept that she wasn't my little girl any more. Look after her."

"I will." House promised. "And for what it's worth I don't think she'd object to being your little girl once in a while. She missed out on your love and support growing up and I think it really affected her confidence for a long time."

"Self esteem and trust, maybe, but I never saw Emma as lacking in confidence."

"She was very timid when I first met her." House informed David, who relished every new bit of information he could learn about his daughter's life before she arrived in Stroybrooke. "She was not long out of med school and would put up with a lot of crap before she started to fight back. It took months for her to come out of her shell and years for her confidence to reach anywhere near where it is now. She can finally give as good as she gets though." He smiled proudly. He secretly took some credit for this after everything she had to put up with when he was her boss. Not that he would tell David this. They were just starting to get close and he wasn't going to ruin that for his own sake as well as Emma's. Family was very important to her. Besides, he'd heard about David's sword fighting skills and did not want to be on the receiving end of his anger.

Emma and Snow came stumbling over shortly after demanding that they got up and danced. When a slow song came on David stood up and offered Emma his hand.

"Would you mind if I danced with you, Emma?" He asked. Emma took his hand and led him to the middle of the floor. "Are you having a good night?" He asked her as they swayed to the music.

"The best." Emma smiled sleepily, leaning her head on his chest. "Thank you."

"I know we are a few years late but I'm glad to be able to dance with you at your first ball. It's been something I've dreamed of since we found out your mother was pregnant with you."

Father and daughter danced in silence for a while, relishing in the moment together, before Emma spoke up again.

"There wasn't a day that I didn't regret giving up Henry." She said quietly so that only David could hear her. He wasn't sure where she was going with this but didn't want to interrupt. "But now I see what a great job Regina and this town has done raising him I know it was for the best. I know you probably felt a similar way when you realized that I had grown up without you but I want you to know that I'm ok. My life before I moved here had its ups and downs but it was good overall, and it led me to the love of my life. Since meeting you and mom, despite all the battles we've had to face, I've been happier than I have ever been and I finally feel like I have a home."

"It means a lot to hear you say that. We will always be your family and you will always have a home with us. We love you Emma."

"I love you too dad."

As the night drew to a close and many of Storybrooke's residents had left the ball and gone home Emma and her family took to the floor for one last dance together. An onlooker would see a group of friends partying until dawn but to them they were a family. Messed up and confusing, but family nonetheless. House considered this for a second as he realized that not only did he love Emma he loved the family unit he was joining. They were no longer a project, not a puzzle or something that needed fixing. Emma, Henry, David and Snow family and that meant the world to him.


End file.
